Day 16
by bean21
Summary: Day 16:Love Intercedes. The day about praying for your spouse. "I kind of skipped that one."


Caleb took a deep breath of the crisp morning air. It had rained during the night, and now the entire world seemed to be cleaner and fresher, as if everything were somehow more alive. Maybe it was because he felt more alive. It was strange how much everything had changed once he'd given his life to God. He stuck his hands in his pockets as he walked down the well-worn dirt road, _The Love Dare_ tucked under his arm. The road down to the old camp had recently become one of his favorite places to walk or jog. He would often go down there to read his Bible, pray, or just get alone and think. "Meditate on God and His Word," as his dad would say. There was a lot to learn still, but he was trying, and God was teaching him.

The sun warmed his skin as he stopped and stood in front of the plain wooden cross. It was so simple looking, but at the same time it symbolized so very much. Taking a seat on one of the stumps in the clearing, Caleb pulled out _The Love Dare_ and flipped through its pages. He had several days left, and while things still weren't easy, he was amazed at how much his attitude toward the entire process had changed.

Absentmindedly he began to look back over some of the first few days. He thought back about how he'd done everything he could to get through them with as little cost to himself as possible, as if showing love for his wife was a tedious duty, rather than a privilege. Still leafing through the beginning pages, he began to go more slowly, reading through several of the days again. He looked back to remind himself of each dare and took the time to read the Bible verses, most of which he'd skipped the first time.

Day 14 – Love takes delight.

Day 15 – Love is honorable.

Day 16. Caleb froze as he read his father's fine print at the top of the page.

Day 16 – Love Intercedes. The day about praying for your spouse.

"_I kind of skipped that one."_

Caleb's words to Michael echoed loudly in his mind. He hadn't only "kind of" skipped it. The first time he read it he'd only gotten about halfway through before putting the book down in disgust. He shook his head as he remembered the horrible attitude he'd had. . . .

Caleb took a long drink from his water bottle and plopped down on the couch, scooping _The Love Dare _up from off the coffee table. He sighed as he flipped it open to his marker. Day 16: "Love Intercedes," whatever that meant. Setting the book down, he got up and walked over to the fridge to find a snack. A sticky note on the fridge door caught his eye. At the top it said "Caleb, could you get these." It wasn't really a question, more like a demand. Under it was a long grocery list.

"No way," Caleb groaned. Catherine had just been to the store. Why couldn't she get them? Forgetting about a snack, Caleb went back into the living room and sat on the couch again, picking up the leather book lying there without really wanting to read it. The first sentence didn't help much – "You cannot change your spouse."

"Thanks for the encouragement," he mumbled.

He kept reading, ignoring the first reference to God, trying to learn something from the words on the page. Until, that is, he read – "You will need something that is more powerful than anything else you have. And that is effective prayer." After that he shut the book in annoyance and left. He'd told his dad from the beginning that he wasn't interested in religion, and he certainly didn't need to talk to a God who probably didn't exist about his marriage problems or anything else. . . .

How could he have been so stupid?

Looking back down to the book in his hands, Caleb quickly read over Day 16 from beginning to end, soaking in every word, seeing for the first time the importance of each idea. As he read he felt amazed at the power and privilege of prayer. Setting _The Love Dare _down on the stump next to him, he slowly got down on his knees in the cool dirt. Prayer was still something he was getting used to. It felt weird to talk to Someone he couldn't see. But he knew now that God was there, He cared, He was listening, and He had power to do whatever He wanted.

"God," Caleb began softly, praying out loud. He cleared his throat. "God, I'm sorry I ignored You for so long. I'm sorry I never understood, and never wanted to. Thank You for loving me anyways, and thank You for giving me the privilege of being able to talk to You and ask You for things. About praying for Catherine, well, more than anything she needs You. She needs to know how much You love her and she needs Your salvation. If I can do nothing else for her, help me to show her that. Please, God, save our marriage. I don't want to lose my wife, and I don't want to go against Your plans for marriage. But God, I need Your help. Help me, God."

Looking up at the wooden cross again, Caleb sighed, and then smiled slightly. He felt peace – more peace than he'd ever felt in his life. God had given him peace and hope. There were so many things to worry about, but he felt like God had taken all those things and said "Let Me worry about them. You just trust Me."

Standing up and brushing the dirt off his jeans, Caleb picked up _The Love Dare _and opened it to Day 16 again. He glanced down the page until his eyes rested on one verse in particular – "'The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much' (James 5:16)." He smiled again as he closed the book and began walking back to his house. A lot was going on in his life and his marriage, but somehow he knew that God had heard his prayer, and now God was going to work.


End file.
